Our fearless leader/editor was able to meet some great vendors at Macworld 2009 this year and got a sampling of their products. I am rounding them up in a series of posts, so, let’s take a look at what we have this time!

I love the “finger as a stylus” mantra of the iPhone, I really do. However, there are times when having a stylus would make life a lot easier. Fortunately, Ten One Design has come to the rescue with the Pogo Stylus for $14.95!

The stylus is made of lightweight metal and the tip, used to “touch” the screen is made of… some alien substance. The manufacture calls it a “trade secret”. In any event, it works. So why would you want a stylus for your iPhone? Well, I can think of a couple reasons:

• First, it is really cold right now in the Midwest, like 7 degrees cold. I don’t really want to take off my glove outside to check the weather. Now I don’t have to!
• Second, I have a couple drawing apps that, as you may know, your finger gets in the way of. This stylus really makes drawing a LOT easier.

Don’t forget to checkout the photos and video below!

Pros:

• Works with any iPhone or iPod Touch!
• Lightweight
• Works as advertised
• You can by stylus packs!
• Different colors

Cons:

• Comes with a clip for iPhone 3G only. You have to buy the $4.95 add-on for the clip to fit all devices
• Over time I can envision the tip of the stylus breaking off, though this is just speculation

TiPB’s Rating:

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Quick Review: Pogo Stylus

Patent-mania running wild from Apple is nothing new, though these recent filings do seem a tad focused on enabling new form factors, don’t they? To go along with the iFlip and iPhone Nano, and the iSlider, comes a little something that just might allow for an iStylus:

Another interesting possibility raised is the use of both capacitance (finger tip) and resistance (fingernail) to provide secondary functionality in future touch screens. [...] Apple suggests the addition of pressure sensitivity to provide additional functionality. For example, touching an item in a list with your fingertip would select it, while pressing it with your fingernail (or otherwise shielded finger or stylus) could bring up a pop-up menu (see picture above).

It’s suggested that the patent could make things like text selection and — wait for it — cut and paste much easier to multi-touch, with the resistance input being akin to a right-button action on a mouse. Of course, we all know how much Steve Jobs loves buttons, never mind his audible YUCK! at the concept of a stylus.

However, resistance touch could be a blessing to those with long nails, who have complained that they have trouble getting the fleshy part of their finger to properly make contact with the current capacitance sensors. No matter how outdated (–cough–Treo 600–cough–) the technology is.

But never mind what I think, are you hankering to get your iStylus on? And if so, why so?

Read

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Patent Watch: Say Hello to… iStylus?